Adding to the Pack
by Bigj200016
Summary: After a slight change to end of Bitten, Clayton develops a theory as to why the Mutts' flunky's changes were successful. Clay has a hard time convincing Jeremy to allow him to test it. He doesn't want a repeat of what happened with Elena. Cover art is the logo of the team's jersey Philip was wearing when Elena returns to Toronto
1. A Special Invitation

Adding to the Pack

I had the idea for this story after reading _Bitten_ , discovering it after finding the TV series of the same name on Netflix. So far, this is the only book in the series I have read. I don't know if any of these events have happened, but I doubt they have. The final few pages of the book are different. I loved the book, with the exceptional the ending. How could someone completely abandon and withdraw from one they were ready to marry? I hated the reaction of Philip to the truth, and wanted to change it. All characters are the property of the author, Kelley Armstrong; only the plot is mine.

This is my first non _Hotel Transylvania_ fanfic, so comments are appreciated.

* * *

Elena had waited five weeks after Clayton regained most of his strength before she was finally ready to return to her old apartment in Toronto. She was terrified that in the aftermath of seeing her change that Philip would still be too scared to even want to be in the same room as her. However, she knew that at some point that she needed to give him a sense of closure, since any romantic relationship was over between them.

Elena left Stonehaven shortly before dawn. She knew that if she had said goodbye to anyone in the pack, she probably would have procrastinated even longer. It had been several weeks since she first had the idea to return, but Elena just couldn't bring herself to begin the first steps of her journey. She always had one excuse after another.

Elena wasn't sure why she insisted on driving from Stonehaven to Toronto. Maybe it was because she wouldn't be at the mercy of anyone else's schedule. Maybe it was because she wanted to bring a few things back. But in either case, she departed Bear Valley in the direction back towards Interstate 81, and then would head north to enter Canada at Wellesley Island, before heading east to Toronto.

All Elena could think about during the four hour drive, was how she could possibly try to explain to Philip what he saw. The pack rules stated that if a human saw a werewolf change, that they were supposed to be killed immediately, but Elena hadn't even thought about harming Philip. She wasn't sure if it was because of his injuries, but she obey them. Secretly a part of her hoped that Philip had told others the secret of her kind, as that would make her choice easier. But she knew Philip; he wouldn't do that to anyone but his sister, and even that was a maybe. Even if he told Diane, she would keep Elena's secret. The two were really close friends, and Diane would never do anything to threaten her. Elena nearly told Diane one night when the two of them were out. A part of her wanted to end the lies and deceit between Philip and his family.

Elena arrived at the apartment shortly after noon, but was surprised to see the room empty. She figured that Philip had gone for a workout, and that he would return soon, so she waited in an armchair. About five minutes later, Philip opened the door, and stopped just across the threshold as he saw her. His mouth was open wide, as he never thought that he would see her again, but internally was glad to have had her come back.

"Philip!" Elena exclaimed as she rushed over to him to embrace him. Unfortunately, Phllip tried to wiggle out of her hug, as he was angry with her. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong!" Philip snapped at her. "Well, let's see; my girlfriend of almost a year doesn't seem to think it pertinent to tell me that she's a werewolf! How's that for starters?"

Elena was shocked that he knew the truth about her. "How?" She asked. For the first time, she noticed what he wore; it was an old hockey jersey and he carried his skates over his right shoulder. It was the middle of July, and if he was going to wear a jersey around town, it would be a Maple Leafs one, not the one he had on.

Elena knew that Philip had played hockey, from youth all the way to university, where he lettered for the RMCC, that's the Royal Military College of Canada. He never talked about the team that this jersey was from. It was dark red, burgundy actually with stripes of gold, black, and white around the waist and sleeves. Elena wasn't familiar this team, so it had to be one of his. On both shoulders was a gold patch of a wolf's head, with a similar logo over the chest accented with a puck and stick. The sleeves and back had his number on it, 27 and the back plate had his name on it.

"I see that Clayton didn't tell you what we talked about after I kicked him out," said Philip, gloating just slightly. Elena shook her head, almost afraid of what it could have been.

* * *

Flashback to the day Clayton was kidnapped

After Clayton was banished by Philip from the apartment, he went to the lobby to wait for Elena. Something inside of him told Clayton that he needed to tell Philip the truth, and that meant the whole truth about the two of them. He waited for Elena to leave for work, and then went back up to their apartment.

Clayton knocked on the door, and when Philip answered it, he looked absolutely pissed at Clayton. "What the hell do you want?" Philip snapped at him.

"Please, just give me five minutes, and after that I promise you that you'll never see me again," Clayton pleaded. He had never done that before in his life, and could have easily terminated the life of Philip for what he had done, but something told Clayton that Philip needed to at least know the truth about why that Clayton's and Elena's relationship was so rocky.

Philip sighed at Clayton as he looked at his watch. He knew that Clayton deserved none of his time, but wasn't five minutes a small price to pay to be rid of him? "Five minutes," Philip said, "and not a second more."

Clayton entered the apartment, and was unsure of what to say for one of the first times in his life. But he knew why he was there, so he wanted to be candid. "You don't really know what we are, do you?" Clayton said with an expression on his face that suggested guilt. "We're not cousins; Elena and I."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that one out on my own," Philip said sarcastically.

"We were engaged before… until I violated her in the worse way possible. I took her to meet my family, and..."

Philip interrupted him, a scowl on his face, "Oh my god, you didn't, did you? You didn't rape her, did you?"

Clayton shook his head as he thought, _If only it was that simple_. "No," Clayton said looking down at his shoes. "I did something much worse. I'm not what I look like."

"So, rapist, murderer, what?"

Clayton looked down even lower; technically he was a murderer, but not in the method that Philip was intending. "I…bit her."

"You bit her?" Philip repeated in almost a voice of shock. "What the hell does that mean?!" He snapped at Clayton.

"I'm a … werewolf; so is Elena, but that's my fault."

"Sure, yeah whatever," said Philip sarcastically. He still didn't believe Clayton. "You're trying to tell me that you're a werewolf, and so is Elena. What kind of fool do you take me for?"

Clayton never wanted to admit this to anyone, let alone a human. He knew the risk he was taking, but it was the only way to make sure that Philip might be safe. "I can prove it to you."

Philip scoffed at him, thinking, _This should be good_ , accented with a laugh. "Fine, prove it," Philip challenged Clayton.

Clayton began to strip down to his boxer shorts, which earned a dirty look from Philip. The look was driven by envy of Clayton's body more than anything else. "What the fuck are you doing?" Philip asked shouting.

"I don't feel like destroying all of my clothes. But I must ask you for two things. First, I promise you that if you do what I say, I won't hurt you." Even though he didn't say it, Clayton thought, _At least not today, anyway_. "Don't be scared. Second, and more importantly, you cannot run. If you run, the chase reflex will activate, and I cannot guarantee what will happen. If you break my first rule, it might not be catastrophic. But if you break the second… well I don't know what will happen."

Philip couldn't believe what he was hearing, but if nothing else he figured that it would be good for a laugh. "Fine, I won't run."

"Ok, Philip," Clayton said as he knelt down on all fours. He began to focus, and Philip was horrified by the sound of unnatural screams, groans, and cracking bones. His change was beginning, as his limbs pulled in closer to him. His back arching upward, and fur beginning to cover his body. However his change was interrupted by the door being kicked in.

Entering the apartment was Daniel Santos and Thomas LeBlanc. Daniel rushed towards the changing werewolf, and stuck a syringe into the still soft underbelly of the beast. Within a minute, Clayton collapsed, reverting to his human form.

Even though Philip was pissed at Clayton, he still didn't want to see him hurt. If nothing else, he was still a friend of Elena's. He rushed at the man who had injected something into Clayton, and swung a fierce right hook at him that connected. However the punch had no effect on Daniel; the only result being a crack as Philip had broken a bone in his hand when he struck the face of Daniel. Daniel countered with a short left to Philip's midsection that landed with not only a thud but a crack, and lifted Philip six inches off the floor, leaving him in a heap on the floor. Clayton was still barely conscious enough to have seen Philip try to help him. He filed it away in him memory, trying to think of how he could ever repay him for the attempt if he ever were to have the chance. That's when LeBlanc went to do his handiwork.

"You really don't learn, do you fleshies?" Thomas said laughing at the fallen human as he pulled his switchblade knife from his pocket. He opened it, and prepared to slice Philip in a manner to make his death as slow and painful as possible. Two slashes; that's what LeBlanc inflicted on Philip, until Daniel began to pick up the scent of the returning Elena.

"Leave him!" Daniel ordered to LeBlanc. "We've got our bait, anyway."

A scowl crossed LeBlanc's face. He enjoyed butchering his victims in any way he could; be it with a knife or any other way. He knew that he hadn't inflicted enough damage to ensure that his wounds were mortal, but Daniel knew they didn't have time to finish him. Besides, what's one more human casualty to a killer like LeBlanc or Daniel? They could always return to kill him later, anyway.

End Flashback

* * *

"Wait!" Elena exclaimed after hearing the entire story. "You knew when you saw me change?!"

Tears were in Philip's eyes. Elena thought back to later that day when Philip saw her change. She was wrong; the look on his face wasn't fear or horror, but rather hurt with a small amount of regret. He was hurt that Elena never bothered to confide in him about her secret, even after Philip had shared almost all of his with her. "Why didn't you tell me?" Philip asked, tears in his eyes from the hurt he felt from Elena not feeling confident enough to share it.

Elena knew why; she knew what the punishment was supposed to be for when a human knew about their kind. But of an even greater concern was that if Clayton ever told Jeremy about what he had told Philip, then Philip would, most likely have to be killed. Even though Elena knew that their romantic relationship was over, she still didn't want to see Philip hurt.

"You have to get out of here!" Elena yelled at Philip. "I mean now; right now!"

"No, I don't," Philip stated calmly. "I am coming with you."

"What?!" Elena screamed in absolute shock. "You can't…"

"Yes I can, Elena," Philip repeated, still completely calm. "Jeremy's invited me to Stonehaven."

"What, what?" Elena was now completely in shock. This made no sense to her, as he wouldn't invite Philip to Stonehaven only to kill him. It made so much more sense to do it in a large city, even though Toronto has a very low crime rate. They wouldn't kill him in their own back yard. She still didn't realize that he had said that it was Jeremy who had invited him.

"He said that I am to come back with you for the weekend."

"You can't," Elena still pleaded. This made absolutely no sense; it didn't matter that Philip had tried to save Clayton, he knew about their kind and that made him a liability.

"Either I go with you, or I drive myself; your call." Philip wouldn't negotiate. Secretly he knew that he might be in some danger, but one doesn't invite someone to their estate in order to hurt them; Jeremy's invitation sounded genuine. This was a gesture of goodwill, and Philip intended to accept it. "I almost forgot, you were to call Jeremy when you got here. Sorry I forgot to give you that one."

Elena finally was able to focus on something minor, that being the jersey he was wearing. "Where did you get that one?" She asked wondering if it was coincidence or if there was a reason why he chose to wear it that day.

"The only pro game I ever played," Philip answered which left Elena even more confused. "Before my final season with Kingston in the OHL, I was drafted by Atlanta. After we missed the playoffs, I signed an ATO contract with them, and was assigned to their AHL team in Chicago."

Elena knew all of the acronyms he used. To fit in with him more, she took up ice skating, and even watched hockey with him on occasion. "What was their name?" Elena asked, more curious than scared.

"The Chicago Wolves," the answer coming calmly. "I knew that I would go to university the next year during that game. I didn't want to pursue a pro career in hockey after that. The first time I was checked by a guy that was bigger than me, I was done. The next week, I accepted my offer from the RMCC."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Yes, I know I am changing the final few pages, but I wanted to give Philip a better look. How does someone completely cool on one they were willing to marry only a few weeks before as is in the last chapter.

So on to all of the hockey acronyms: The OHL is the Ontario Hockey League; it is one of the three leagues that make up Canadian major junior hockey. A significant number of North American players is the National Hockey League come from major junior.

An ATO contract is an Amateur Try Out contract. They are typically used at the end of the season by players who are considering turning professional, but want to leave the option open to return to a Canadian university. By playing major junior, Philip couldn't play hockey in a U.S. college as the NCAA considers major junior players to be professional, and therefore not eligible.

The AHL, or American Hockey League, is the premier minor league in North America. It is essentially triple A level, one step below the NHL. Many of the top prospects are assigned to AHL teams.

I didn't remember reading where Philip had gone to university, so I chose the RMCC, which is basically the West Point of Canada. This will also come into play in later chapters. It is in Kingston, Ontario, which is also where I set Philip playing major junior hockey. Yes, there is an OHL team in Kingston.

Yes, from 2001 until the team moved to Winnipeg, the Atlanta Trashers' AHL affiliate was the Chicago Wolves. I will post a picture of the jersey Philip was wearing when he entered the apartment. The team still exists, and the logo is the same, even though as of now they are the affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. The logo will be key, and you will see why in future chapters.


	2. The Theory

**Author's Note** : So last time, Elena went back to Toronto, and discovers that she was wrong about Philip when he saw her change. He wasn't horrified by it, but he was upset and hurt that she wouldn't share her secret with him. We also learn that Philip played one professional hockey game in his life for a team known as the Wolves.

Your reviews and comments are appreciated, as this is one of my first non _Hotel Transylvania_ Fan Fics.

* * *

Chapter 2

The Theory

Jeremy had heard Elena leave, as he was out for a run when she left. Being the pack alpha, Jeremy could see into the other's dreams. That was how he knew about Philip trying to save Clayton, and also how he knew that Elena was going back to Toronto, but more importantly than that the reason she was.

Jeremy had spoken to Philip before, only for a few minutes, but Jeremy could tell just by his voice that Philip was one of the few humans who might be able to handle the truth and keep the secret of their kind. Jeremy also knew that there would be no need to kill Philip, as he would not do anything to harm Elena nor any of her friends.

More importantly, Jeremy's run had given him time to think. He wondered if a human was truly ready to know the secret of their kind. He thought of when Clayton first brought Elena to Stonehaven. As much as it pained him, Jeremy had forced Clay's hand into having to bite Elena so she would be accepted by him. Elena might have been ready to know the truth, but he wondered if she would have chosen that path? Would she have been able to keep their secret, and would she had knowingly consented to the fate that Clay forced on her? _Yes_ , Jeremy thought, _some humans were ready. I am almost certain that Philip is._

Jeremy's change back to human was more difficult than he had experienced in a long time. For the first time since he began to master the change, it stalled about half way through. Normally his change was quick, taking about a minute, but this one took more than three and was more excruciating than any he had in a long time.

To take his mind off of his issues, Jeremy went to the kitchen and began to make breakfast. The sounds and smells of eggs and bacon frying awoke all of the other werewolves in Stonehaven. As he finished cooking, Antonio and Nicholas entered the kitchen. "Man, something smells good this morning!" Nicholas commented as he sniffed the air.

Antonio had this morning's _New York Times_ in his hand as he walked into the kitchen, and used the rolled up newspaper to lightly smack his son on the nose for his comment. This resulted in a laugh from Jeremy and even a slight chuckle from Nicholas.

Jeremy was still smiling a minuted later as he caught sight of his pack sons as he said, "He'll never grow up, will he?"

Antonio also had a smile on his face as he shook his head. He had been trying for decades to convince his son to do so, in both his behavior and his business acumen. He had even gone as far as to compare his son to Francisco d'Anconia from the novel _Atlas Shrugged_ , hoping that was the case for his son. Alas, unlike the fictional d'Anconia, who's talent was beyond compare, despite the fact that he deliberately sabotaged his own company, his son lacked the foresight to turn a reasonable profit on any venture he education afforded to Nicholas should have guaranteed his success; a BA in business for Penn's Wharton School, and a MBA from Harvard should have all but set him on the right path. But no, Nicholas found a way to lose money on any business he started.

Jeremy was filling a large platter with eggs, bacon, and pancakes to take up to Clayton, but before he left, he invited his family, "Please, help yourselves," said Jeremy smiling. "Just leave whatever is left in the oven, and I'll eat later."

"Why, who's that for?" Nicholas asked, but the only reply he got was another light slap with the paper from his father. He finally guessed the correct answer, which he displayed with a face-palm before he resumed tearing into his breakfast.

Jeremy had mandated that Clay spend most of his time in his bed. He had just about completely recovered from his injuries and also the effects of the barbiturates he had been forced to take. It had been more than six weeks since Clayton's last run, and Jeremy knew that the time was near that he would have to change.

As Jeremy entered Clayton's room, he didn't even notice the alpha enter. Jeremy knew by the way he was laying, that Clay was deep in thought. More importantly, Jeremy knew that whatever Clay was thinking about was a serious matter. Clay may not have been a student of the physical sciences, like chemistry or biology, but his field of expertise did involve some level of deductive reasoning. He may not have been strong with the scientific method, but what he was thinking of would have been hard to test using traditional methods.

"What's wrong, my son?" Jeremy asked as he set the tray down containing the food that he had brought for Clayton next to his bed.

Clayton remained in his thoughts. His mind could be like a trap, and once he was lost inside of it, it could be tough to extricate him from it. One of the best things that could was his stomach, which began to growl when he smelled the food in his room. Snapping back to reality, Clayton realized that it was Jeremy in his room, who by now had sat in a rolling office chair in his room.

"Something been troubling you, Clay?" Jeremy asked again, but this time it only elicited a shake of Clayton's head as he began to eat some of the bacon on his plate. "Can I tell you what I have been thinking?"

This was new to Clayton. Jeremy never asked him for permission or advice on anything. His most trusted confidant was Antonio, and second to him was Elena. Clay was his best soldier. Those two jobs didn't normally coincide. Clay could only nod his head.

"I know what Philip did for you. But more importantly, I know he saw Elena change." A look of dread came over Clayton, and he stopped eating. He knew what this meant, but he couldn't bring himself to ever harm Philip, especially after Philip had tried to save Clay from the mutts. "Eat, my son," Jeremy pleaded with him.

Clayton breathed deeply to gather his courage. What he had been thinking about was extremely taboo, and he could be risking his life by even mentioning it in the presence of his alpha. "You really want to know what I've been thinking about the last week?" Clayton finally asked, nervous about what Jeremy's response would be.

To Clayton's surprise, Jeremy was supportive. "Of course I do," the alpha said smiling.

"We always thought that the odds of a successful first change was about one in eight, right?" Clayton asked, almost terrified that Jeremy would discover what his theory might be before he could explain his reasoning.

"Not quite," Jeremy answered looking right into the eyes of Clay. "Yes, it's true that the chance of surviving the change until mastery is about one in eight, assuming that the bitten isn't eaten by the wolf. However, it's not the first change that is the most dangerous. Most bitten werewolves die after a few changes when they cannot overcome the wolf instincts. The first change in men is successful about half the time; we cannot be certain for women as I am not aware of enough to be statistically reliable."

"But three out of four of the mutts' selected changes were successful," Clayton added. Jeremy's nod confirmed what Clay feared the most. Jeremy knew already what he was theorizing, and all Clay could do was to hope that Jeremy would order Clay not to think of it any more. "I think I know why that was."

Jeremy remained silent; to Clayton this was almost more troubling than an outright forbidding to continue his thoughts. He remained silent, almost begging for Jeremy to give him the order to drop the subject, but that never came. The only reply was another soft nod, followed by Jeremy placing his right hand on Clayton's left shoulder.

Clayton breathed in deeply one more time before announcing his hypothesis. He repeated, "I think I know why." Clayton thought back to what Elena had told him about her first change. She was in so much pain, that she wished it would just kill her, but someone unexpected had helped her, and told her exactly what she needed to do at the only time she was ready to follow his instructions.

* * *

Flashback, Stonehaven, 11 years ago

The first two days after Clayton had bitten Elena, she was allowed to rest in a regular bed in what would eventually become her room. Clayton had been banished from the pack for biting Elena without her consent, even though her consent was immaterial as intentionally biting a human was forbidden. The morning of the third day was when Elena would be forced to move to the cage, as her first change could happen at any time.

The walk to the basement was excruciating, as everything in her body hurt. Jeremy had explained the basics of what happened to her, but she still didn't want to believe it. She collapsed twice on the walk to the room that contained the cage; the walk taking almost fifteen minutes, and was made only with the help of Jeremy who supported Elena.

After being left in the cage for twenty minutes alone, Jeremy returned carrying food and a cup of water. "You must eat and drink now. Your body will need it," Jeremy said, concern dripping from his voice as he knew what she was about to experience. "You are about to experience the first change. I'm sorry, but you're about to experience a world of pain you could have never imagined." There was something in his voice that Elena had never heard before from any of her foster parents; it was genuine concern for her well-being. Tentatively, she took the food which was just three hamburger patties and devoured them, followed by downing the water in one gulp. Almost immediately after she finished the water, the cup dropped to the floor, and Elena let out an unholy scream of pain as she watched her right hand begin to twist into a knot. Her fingers began to retract into her hand, and when she looked down it was no longer a hand, but a paw. Jeremy knew what this meant; her first change was beginning.

"What's happening to me?!" Elena screamed in pain, tears streaming from her eyes that resembled sweat more than tears. "Please! Please help me!" She looked right at him and was horrified that he was doing the exact same thing that all of the foster parents in her life had, abandoning her in her greatest time of need.

Elena was trying to fight the change, which was the worst thing one could do. Jeremy saw this, and started to turn away, but something stopped him; it was Elena's pleas for help. He turned back and reached through the bars on the cage, gently stroking her hair. _This was it,_ he thought _, she wouldn't survive her first change_. _No woman ever had._ But he couldn't just abandon her _._ The best he could do would be to comfort her, as he doubted a woman could survive the change _._ The screams suggested that the pain she was in would be impossible for her to accept, and it would kill her. "Elena, listen to me. **Listen to me now**!" Jeremy said forcefully, almost shouting before sounding caring again, "Don't fight it." He was unsure of why he was trying to help her. "Elena, you can't fight the pain. If you fight it, it will kill you," Jeremy added sounding only slightly sterner, but there was still concern in his voice. "You must accept the pain, Elena; accept it and let it take you to where it needs to."

Elena's hands started to convulse as her hands began to twist into paws. The crack and creaks of muscle and bones were hard for Jeremy to just watch, but he saw something he never though he would. Elena began to strip her clothes off, as she got in the proper positions. Despite her pain, she was giving in to it. She had followed his instructions and ceased to fight her pain.

Jeremy smiled as he saw her change progress, adding small words of encouragement. After her arms had changed, the legs were next. They stretched and contorted into positions not normal for a human, but like her arms they changed as fur began to grow on her body. Next her back began to convulse as her spine began to bend in ways that a human's spine was never meant to. Jeremy knew that this was the most dangerous part of the change, since if Elena fought at this time, her spinal cord would be torn into pieces. But yet again, it passed with her still standing. The change progressed to its final and least dangerous part, although it was far from painless. For the first time, Jeremy was almost certain that her change would be successful. Her mouth and nose began to lengthen into a muzzle, as her teeth morphed into fangs. The whole process took about 5 minutes, although to Elena it felt like an eternity.

As her change finished, Elena, now completely in wolf form, stood erect as she shook her head and stretched her legs for the first time. She turned to him as Jeremy smiled and whispered, "I'll be damned." However his thoughts were, _It is possible._ He offered the new wolf a bowl of water, and it drank greedily, lapping until there was little left in the bowl. But this would not be the first time that Elena would be allowed to roam the property, as the first change was always spent in the cage, as was the second. This repeated until the alpha felt that the new wolf could be trusted to keep its instincts at bay, and not harm any innocents. In Elena's case, the first time she was allowed to run on Stonehaven's property was almost six months after Clayton had bit her.  
End flashback

* * *

"It was the same reason that Elena was successful," Clayton told Jeremy. "You helped her, while they had help from the mutts. But I think we can make the success rate even higher; my estimates show a success rate of about nine out of ten for men, and seven out of ten for women."

"How?" Jeremy asked, hope filling his voice. He knew what Clayton was proposing was extremely taboo, but his pack had been decimated. Help from the right bitten humans could prove invaluable.

"The mutts all had one thing in common that not even Elena did; they all wanted to be bitten." Clayton's statement was met with a slight gasp from Jeremy. "That's why their success rate was so high, but we can provide something that the mutts couldn't. A loving pack family to guide the new ones."

Jeremy was still shocked that he was even considering the possibility. He was on an extremely dangerous ledge. The alpha checked his watch thinking, _She should have just arrived in Syracuse._ He knew who Clayton would want to give the first choice to be bitten to, as he thought of the same man.

Jeremy, figuring that Elena would fly to Toronto, called Philip. If there was one human who was ready to learn most of the secrets of their kind, it was him. Two rings, and the phone was answered, "Hello. Philip McAdam here, how can I help you?" He answered not recognizing the number on the caller ID.

"Good morning, Mr. McAdam, My name is Jeremy Danvers. I believe you're friends with my … uh niece, Elena Michaels."

"Yes, sir," Philip answered a little unsure of the voice he heard. It had a slight sense of familiarity to it, as if Philip could swear that he had heard it before.

"Well then, I'll cut to the chase. Elena is on her way back to Toronto. I figure she should arrive about 4:00, but I'd like to invite you to join her on her return to my beautiful estate in upstate New York for the weekend as a token of my thanks for your understanding during this very difficult time for my family."

"Thank you, sir. I'd enjoy it."

Something in the man's voice told Jeremy that Philip had military training complete with the discipline it instilled. This could make him an even better candidate to be changed, as his strength would be high, and he would have skills no current member of the pack did. "You're very welcome, Philip. May I ask you for one more favor?"

"Anything, sir."

"Please ask Elena to call me when she arrives."

"Absolutely, sir."

"Thank you, Philip. Goodbye."

The line went dead before Philip could say, "Goodbye."


	3. Research

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but I got sidetracked with other projects. Anyway last time, Clay told Jeremy his theory of why the Mutts' flunkies were successful in their changes, and he thinks that the pack could improve on it.

* * *

Chapter 3  
Research

When Jeremy left Clayton's room, Clay was still eating. Jeremy began to reflect on what Clay had hypothesized. _Was it really that possible?_ he thought. _Could the change really be that successful, only requiring the support of a loving pack family?_ True, the number in their pack had declined much in the previous decades, more from attrition than anything else. While werewolves lived significantly longer than humans, there hadn't been the birth rate of new ones. But could biting really be so effective?

Jeremy was walking back to the kitchen to have his breakfast as he was thinking about what Clayton had told him. Antonio and Nicholas had finished eating by the time he had returned, and Jeremy saw that they had cleaned all of the dishes and they were sitting on the counter to dry.

Jeremy made some fresh coffee as he reheated the leftover bacon and eggs. Unfortunately the Sorrentino's had finished all of the pancakes that Jeremy had made. It was immaterial, as after Clay had told him about his theory, he wasn't all that hungry.

Elena had left her iPad behind, and it was left on the table. To assist in Clayton's research, Jeremy had reluctantly agreed to have internet access installed in Stonehaven. One of the mutts who was still on good terms with the pack worked as an IT specialist, and agreed to install a secured and well firewalled internet connection in exchange for allowing him a small amount of territory so he wouldn't have to be a nomad any longer. This wasn't unprecedented, as a few mutts had been granted territory in exchange for services rendered at Stonehaven. This mutt in question had fallen in love with a human after having a child together, a girl. He wanted to allow them to live as a family, and vowed to not have any more children. That was enough of a guarantee, as Jeremy had graciously granted this mutt territory in North Dakota. With the oil boom in that state, he was able to find well paying work with a drilling outfit and was true to his word. He had a vasectomy immediately after moving into their home, not even telling his wife about the procedure.

Jeremy opened the device, and began to perform a search on Philip. If they were really thinking about biting him, then Jeremy needed background information about him. He started with Facebook, opening Philip's profile. In there, there wasn't much that Elena hadn't told Jeremy about Philip, but there was one picture that peaked his interest in his photo album.

Jeremy had been doing research on Philip for about an hour when Clayton, Nicholas, and Antonio came downstairs. The younger pair were going outside for a run, and they had begun to shed their clothing. By the time they reached the door, they were completely naked. Secretly, Jeremy wished to join them, but knew that Philip would most likely be at Stonehaven later that evening or the next morning at the latest. This couldn't be put off; it had to be done immediately if they were actually going to proposition him.

Antonio stayed behind. He knew that he needed to run as well, but he would wait until that night. His alpha was doing research on something, and he wished to be of assistance. "Something wrong, my friend?" Antonio asked.

Jeremy was slightly startled. Sure he had heard and smelled the three coming down the stairs, but he assumed as he heard two of them stripping, that all three of them were going to run. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, my friend," replied Jeremy smiling.

Antonio saw the dedication with what his friend looked to be scouring the internet for information on someone or something. He knew that Jeremy wouldn't be searching for a mutt online, as only the ones that relented to pack conditions and granted territory could even risk posting public profiles. For the others it was almost suicidal. He looked on the printer, and saw several pieces of paper in the output tray. Antonio grabbed them to bring them to his alpha. As he looked at them, he realized what they were and who his target was. "Google and Facebook sure make things easier to track people, huh?" Antonio joked.

Jeremy smiled at his top advisor as he invited Antonio to sit and review what he had found. Antonio started on the top, pages and picture printed from the Facebook. The first page simply had basic information about their target. His name was Philip McAdam. Upon seeing that this man lived in Toronto, Antonio looked up from the papers and asked him, "A friend of Elena's?"

Jeremy smiled again as he answered, "Something like that."

Antonio reviewed all of the basic information on him, reading most of it out loud. _Born, January 27_ _th_ _, 1981 in Mississauga, Ontario to Anne and Larry McAdam. Education: Graduated Holy Cross Catholic High School, Kingston, Ontario, Class of 2000. Royal Military College of Canada, BS Civil Engineering, Class of 2006. University of Toronto, Class of 2012, MS Architecture._

Antonio looked up from the first page, saying his thoughts out loud, "Hmm, an architect and a civil engineer; interesting. Could be helpful."

"Especially in your line of work," Jeremy said with a slight laugh. "I thought so as well, but keep looking," he added, inviting his friend to continue.

The next few pages consisted of many photographs of this Philip McAdam, including a few with him and Elena. "She can't be this sloppy!" Antonio growled.

"I've already told her about that, but pictures on the internet are difficult to completely scrub, and I assume she never asked Philip to remove them. But keep going."

On the third page he saw what he assumed his alpha wanted him to find. It was a page on some hockey database that included statistics on the man they found. Antonio began by reading the profile. _Philip McAdam, Drafted 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 7_ _th_ _round, 197_ _th_ _overall._ He looked further, next going over his transaction history. Antonio understood some of what he read, as one of Nicholas's failed ventures had been a professional sports team, and Antonio had learned some of that business to be of assistance to his son if he ever asked. Let's see, _March 22, 2002 Agreed to Amateur Try Out contract with Atlanta (NHL), Assigned to Chicago (AHL). March 29, 2002 Released from ATO contract_. "Is that all of it? His last transaction was 13 years ago?" Antonio questioned.

"The next page may explain it," Jeremy answered.

He looked at the next page; it was an article from _The Kingston Whig Standard_. The headline read "Frontenacs Star McAdam to Forego NHL Career, Enrolls at RMCC." Antonio began to read the article which consisted of only two paragraphs. "Local Kingston Frontenacs star Philip McAdam has decided to forego an NHL career and will serve in the armed forces. He was accepted into the RMCC last winter, but was granted an extension on his decision on whether he would enter the college until April 1st. McAdam played in one game with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL over the weekend, collecting one hit and two shots in the Wolves 3-2 loss to Milwaukee. No statement has been made by McAdam on why he had chosen to enter the service academy. Atlanta had drafted McAdam in the 7th round of the 2000 Entry Draft, and the club also has not released a statement. The club released McAdam from his ATO contract yesterday."

Antonio kept focusing on the name of the team he played for, the Chicago Wolves. Could it be simply coincidence? No, he knew better. Sure it was possible, but extremely unlikely.

"Next page," Jeremy whispered to Antonio, and he obliged his alpha.

The next page was a picture of Philip in his Wolves jersey before they game he played. He looked to be skating during a warm-up period as he was not wearing a helmet. He was dressed in a red jersey. Unknown to the two of them, this was the same one that Elena had seen him in as he entered the apartment. The logo looked realistic, unlike many in sports that look to be cartoony, this one looked as if an actual grey wolf had been the basis for their logo.

Antonio went to the next page again. It consisted of a record of the Class of 2006 from the Royal Military College of Canada. Halfway down there was a name highlighted. 'Philip McAdam, Magna Cum Laude, BS Civil Engineering.'

Antonio continued to the next page. It looked to be a local newspaper article that informed the citizenry of the commissions of the recent graduates of the RMCC. Once again, halfway down was an underlined entry. 'Philip McAdam, Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, assigned to Canadian Military Engineers.'

Antonio finally made it to the final page. The article in a newspaper was dated September 18th, 2011. The headline read, "Local man awarded new 'Canadian Sacrifice Medal'. A man born in Mississauga had been awarded the new medal, which has criteria similar to the United States' Purple Heart. Philip McAdam, a member of the RMCC's Class of 2006 was wounded in an ambush in Kandahar, Afghanistan in early 2009, when an IED exploded on a roadside while he participated in a convoy. During a brief firefight, Lieutenant McAdam was alleged to have helped to carry one of his American compatriots back to the safety of an armored vehicles. The event is under examination for further commendations for his act of bravery and heroism."

Antonio looked up at his alpha. Jeremy returned his glance and said, "If there is anyone who could not only survive the first change on his own, but master it, it would be him."

Antonio looked questioningly at his leader, thinking, _Could he possibly be proposing what I think he is?_

"We may not have a choice," Jeremy answered Antonio's thoughts. "He saw both Clayton and Elena change, but not only that, he tried to save Clayton after Santos injected him with whatever he did."

"But the rules!" Antonio pleaded.

Jeremy let out a slight chuckle. "What good is it to be alpha, if you cannot make exceptions or change them. And I wouldn't feel right killing a human who acted with such valor, regardless of the reason."

Clayton and Nicholas went only for a short run, about 20 minutes long. Nicholas only went to look after Clayton, since it had been so long since he changed. Clay's screams of pain seemed even louder than normal; this was common when a werewolf tried to procrastinate a change for too long. The two only did a few laps in the forest surrounding the house before changing back.

After they both were back to their naked human forms, Nicholas sensing that something was distracting Clayton asked, "What's been eatin' at you?"

"Nothing," Clayton snapped at his friend hoping he would drop it, but Nicholas knew Clay better than even he knew himself. He raised his eyebrow at Clay and the PhD revealed what he had talked to Jeremy about.

A slight look of horror came over Nicholas's face as Clayton told him that Philip had seen his change. What Clay didn't confess to was that he had deliberately changed in front of Philip, hoping that would justify silencing him. That look left when Clay informed Nicholas that Philip had tried to save Clay from being kidnapped.

"There's more," Clayton said, "I think that the first change isn't as dangerous as we thought it was." Nicholas just stared at Clayton in shock. The two had sat down on large rocks in the forest still naked. "Three out of the four the mutts changed were successful, and we have something better that we can offer the bitten. We can give them a sense of family."

Nicholas held his mouth open, his bottom lip so low that if it was any lower his jaw would be on the ground. "Okay, let's just assume for a second that Jeremy agrees to let you test your theory, and I don't think your chances are fifty-fifty. How do you test it? I mean, the mutts found people who were willing to be bitten; how do you do that? You know Jeremy won't let you use ex-cons."

"I already know who should be first, if he's willing. I think that he will be, because he cares for Elena as much as I do."

If Nicholas wasn't in shock before, he was now. He knew who Clayton was referring to; his rival for Elena's love. Nick worried that this wouldn't end well for either of them. "Are you sure?"

Clayton didn't know about the fact that Philip had received a military commendation for what happened to him in Afghanistan, but knew what he had tried to do for him in Toronto. "He tried to save me from two mutts. I think we can trust him, and I know he won't hurt Elena."

"I don't know about this," Nicholas said.

"Neither do I, but I don't know if we have a choice."


End file.
